AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He kisses me again.
“Thank you.” I’ve never felt it until now, lying here in his arms.
Jesse reaches over and clicks the light off, settling in beside me. He pulls me to his chest, his nose nestled against my neck.
“I’m going to make sure they pay for what they’ve done to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those Davis fuckheads. They’re going to pay.”
“But how, Jesse? There’s nothing you can do. Nothing I can do,” I say. “The only thing that will help is you becoming the sheriff so they can never hurt anyone again.”
Jesse doesn’t say anything more, but he brushes kisses up and down my neck, gentle and sweet. Caring. It’s affection that I’ve never felt before, and it sends goosebumps racing over my skin, and prickles of anticipation.
How can something that’s fake be better than anything real I’ve felt before?
It can’t.
If Jesse loves me too, I wish he would say it. He says I have guts, but I’m afraid to turn over and ask him if he feels the same way I do. Instead, I lie there, his breath on my neck, and his ring on my finger, my thoughts on a future I wish we could have.
Forty-Eight
JESSE
The town hallis set up for the debate with a podium on the stage, curtains drawn across it in the meantime. A technician mics me up while I sit in a chair, waiting for the event to start. Under different circumstances, I would have been nervous about this, but everything has changed.
Marci is out there, in the crowd, waiting to hear from me, and today is my shot to prove to her that I’ll do whatever it takes to be with her.
Francis Oakes, my “rival” for the sheriff position, gives me a thumbs up from the chair over and mouths the word, “Ready?”
I nod.
Deputy Dickfuck arrives late, buttoning up his pants and straightening them. He sits down in a chair in between us, casting a look left and then right. He leans over to my side.
“You ready to get your ass handed to you?” he murmurs. “That little slut wife of yours is going to regret?—”
I grab the front of his shirt and pull him out of his chair so he’s in my face. Davis chokes on his own saliva.
“I’m done playing nice with you,” I say, covering my microphone. “If you talk about my wife like that again, I’ll remove your tongue.”
And then I shove him backward so he sprawls on the stage.
Davis rises, pulling his suit straight, opening his mouth, but he’s interrupted by the moderator in front of the curtains, welcoming everyone to the debate.
Davis gives me a look, bottom lip quivering in its sneer, and sits in his chair. He composes himself and puts up a fake ass smile.
Maybe there’s some part of this motherfucker that’s desperately seeking approval from his bully of a father. Maybe he has his own deeper reason for doing what he does, but I don’t care. Sometimes, people are bad, through and through, and there’s no helping them.
But I’m going to make sure his family never hurts this town or my woman again.
The curtains open, and there’s a round of raucous applause from the gathered townsfolk. There are plenty of familiar faces and others who are likely from the other towns in the county. I scan them until I findher.
Marci’s in the third row, a nervous smile parting those kissable lips. Her red hair falls around her shoulders in waves, and she’s chosen another of those fitted knit dresses for today. She’s an angel. An actual angel, and she makes doing this worthwhile.
“We’re going to hear from our candidates on important issues today,” the moderator says. “And we’ll have a chance for questions at the end of our debate. First, let’s hear from each of the candidates before we get into the relevant issues. I’m going to ask that the audience behave respectfully. Anyone who interrupts the candidates while they’re talking will be removed. Thank you.”
A polite smattering of clapping. Someone coughs in the back of the hall.
